A work in progress towards living a sustainable life, healthy life, making a living and creating a life, leaving smaller footprints on the earth. It is my hope that the smaller footsteps will gain momentum and leave large imprints of conscious living to enable our children to enjoy the beauty and abundance that surrounds us.

Friday, January 20, 2006

WHY DOWNSHIFT ANYWAY?

That is a really good question. Why would you bother? For me it relates to getting a better balance between time and money. You can get caught up in creating money by working harder and harder and finding that you then spend more and more to counteract that. What matters is the difference between what comes in, what goes out and whether you enjoy what you do.

A good starting place for me was Joe Dominguez book, on which I commented in Angora's Journal.Having been a Financial Adviser I thought I had a good idea but this book really is an eye opener for people who wish to compare the amount of money coming in and how to manage money going out.It is simple to read and offers 9 steps to Financial Independence ( when your income = outgoings from savings ( i.e. other sources than paid employment). It challenged my values about money and the world I had built surrounding it. Following the steps I have clearly identified areas in my life on which I spend money and which are not aligned with my current thinking and do not provide fulfillment.

This is definitely a book I would recommend if you are trying to simplify your life, if you are facing a major life change and want to conquer the money thing.